Cursed Heritage 1 - The Dark Half
Chapter 13 - Shadows and tall trees
Aldeth Sashenstar was afraid.
This little hunting expedition to Cloakwood hadn't quite turned out like he had planned. Elban had died after they had been attacked by a band of uncouth savages and Aldeth knew they were coming for him next. Cursing himself for being arrogant, he wished he had Brandilar by his side. But no, he had left his guards back at Baldur's Gate, foolishly choosing to believe in his own prowess.
Someone was approaching, he noticed. His dogs sprang up and began to growl. The two servants responsible for the hounds seemed jittery and scared. Aldeth ordered them head into the hunting lodge his company owned. He was many things, a foppish merchant foremost. But he was no coward.
"Who goes there!" he yelled raising Kondar, his enchanted bastard sword and family heirloom in a clumsy defensive stance.
To his amazement and relief, it wasn't the bloodthirsty woodsmen but actually civilized looking folk who emerged from the thicket. He could instantly see that these men and women were well armed and moved with the same practiced confidence as his own bodyguard Brandilar.
The lead man, a brown haired youth wearing dark gray robes and carrying a staff addressed him:
"We're adventurers hailing from Beregost. I am known as Aidan, he is Khalid," he pointed towards a heavily armored half-elf who stammered a greeting to Aldeth,
"there's Jaheira," another half-elf, this one female and carrying a white staff,
"Imoen, " a young red haired girl in form-fitting dark clothes, leather armor and armed with a fine short bow,
"and finally, Coran." The gray robe finished, pointing at a smiling elf carrying a long bow in his hand.
Aldeth thought furiously. Perhaps he could gain the aid of these travelers? Those savages could return at any moment.
"Oh, I apologize for my rudeness, I mistook you for someone else. Let me introduce myself, I am Aldeth Sashenstar." He offered earnestly.
"You must understand that at the moment I'm under a terrible amount of stress." He continued, some emotion creeping to his nasal voice.
"You see my dear fellows, there is a group of uncouth savages that has declared their intention of killing my friends and I. I've been holed up in this cabin for several days, and have lacked the wherewithal to try and make an escape. Perhaps you kind sirs would help a fellow in trouble?" he pleaded, switching his gaze between the companions.
The young robed leader was about to speak when the half-elf woman whispered something to his ear. The youth (obviously some sort of a wizard, Aldeth thought) nodded at her.
"Yes, we would." He said.
Aldeth felt like a huge weight had lifted from his shoulders. Perhaps he would live to see his home city after all?
"Good men! I'm glad you had the sense of decency to help a man in my situation. Let me explain my predicament. My friends and I come here every year to do some sport hunting." He began, noticing that the half-elf woman sneered at this. Coughing slightly he continued hastily,
"This year however, a group of woodland savages threatened us with bodily harm if we did not stop our hunting trip. Being civilized men we realized that it's well within our rights to hunt where we damn well please." The half-elf's scowl deepened. Aldeth couldn't understand what it was with elves. Luckily for him the wench didn't seem to lead her group!
"After a few more days of hunting the crass woodmen lost all pretense of humanity and murdered Elban, one of my oldest friends. I'm sure that they plan to attack our cottage here, so we had best be prepared." He finished, looking at the young robed fellow. The half-elf once again whispered something to him.
Aldeth felt droplets of cold sweat drip down his back. What were they conferring about? Had he confided to a group of ruffians? Were they going to jump him and finish what those savages had started?
Aidan had no such plans, of course. He and Jaheira had merely agreed to aid Aldeth, despite the druid's instant dislike of the foppish fellow. Sport hunting of animals was frowned upon in her order, but it wasn't considered to be an offense worth killing for. Shadow druids however equated it with murder, and ruthlessly punished anyone caught in the act.
Still, it would be a chance to sleep indoors for one night. The companions had been attacked by swarms of tasloi earlier, and despite handily defeating the small forest dwellers they had sustained some injuries.
Unpacking his gear, Aidan drew out his spellbook and sat on a comfortable chair near the fireplace. He hadn't been wounded, and while the others rested he resolved to try and learn the spell "FireBall".
*-*-*
Having finished her own prayers and required meditation, Jaheira went outside.
The hunting lodge was situated on a small clearing, and she could see the stars clearly in the cloudless night sky. She was worried for her fellow druids. Seniyad would never allow any Shadow druids to exist in his forest. She muttered a small prayer to Silvanus, hoping that her old friend and mentor was alive.
"Damn you Kivan."
She could have used the elven ranger and his skill with the bow right now. Not that Coran had disappointed her. The other elf had astonished them all with his masterful archery earlier, killing a tasloi with every arrow that he had fired. No, it wasn't that. There had just been something so dependable and rocklike in Kivan. Coran was too glib, Imoen and Aidan were still children.
No, not children she berated herself. They had mounted an impressive rescue operation against that ogre mage and his cohorts, and she and Khalid owed their lives both to the young humans. Jaheira pursed her mouth in thought. The young wizard was already learning spells like "FireBall" and "Flame Arrow".
He was advancing very quickly in his mastery of the "Art". It was true that humans generally did so faster than any other race, but still...
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of three heat signatures in the forest. They were brazenly approaching without any thought of stealth.
Jaheira knew that the moment had come, and she yelled an alarm to her comrades still in the lodge. Conflict with the heretics was imminent.
*-*-*
Everyone had made it out of the lodge more or less prepared as the three hostile looking strangers strolled into the clearing.
The leader was a middle-aged man dressed in thick hides and wielding a club and a wooden shield. He was accompanied by stern, dark haired young woman armed with a spear and a scarred, bald man wielding a scimitar. The leader spotted Aldeth skulking behind Khalid and smiled, his eyes growing even colder, if at all possible.
"That man is an enemy of nature. Give him over or you shall all share his punishment." The ultimatum was delivered in a calm, cold tone of voice.
Aidan glanced at Jaheira, preferring to let her deal with these obviously dangerous fanatics. The druidess was only happy to oblige.
"Begone from here, vile heretics! This man is under the protection of the true druidic order now. Leave this forest, your ignorant practices are not welcome in the wood of Seniyad!" she snarled, not bothering to keep anger from her voice.
The leading Shadow druid stared at Jaheira, his eyes filled with malice now.
"So another one of you mewling weaklings has crawled back to Cloakwood. Know this: Seniyad is no more!" he said, seemingly relishing Jaheira's reaction to the news.
"Amarande is now the Shadow arch druid here, and we shall kill every defiler who dares to set his foot in this sacred wood! Faldorn, Izefia! Kill these enemies of nature!" he yelled, starting spell casting immediately.
His female underling did likewise, while Izefia blocked Khalid's quick swing with his scimitar. Jaheira started her own prayer to Silvanus while Imoen drew her blade and stealthily attempted to circle the fray. Coran sidestepped the two sword fighters and shot an arrow at the enemy leader. Unfortunately he was too late, and while his aim was true the Shadow druid had finished his spell. Two huge cave bears appeared out of thin air and immediately closed to engage the hapless elf, roaring in rage.
Faldorn never finished her spell, for she was hit by three "Magic Missiles" courtesy of Aidan. Her spell ruined, the young Shadow druid shot a murderous glare at the wizard and charged him with her spear in her hands. Aidan had been prepared to this, however and followed his first spell with a "Mirror Image". Bewildered, his foe tried to skewer one of the illusionary forms with her weapon, only to see it vanish and the remaining images blur and shift position.
Jaheira finished her own spell, causing a thundering bolt of lightning strike from the sky, hitting one of the bears. It ceased attacking the elf, whimpering in pain it's fur smoking and sizzling. Coran was dexterously dodging the massive paws of the other bear, nicking it every now and then with his sword.
The hide clad enemy leader was preparing for another spell when he suddenly screamed in pain, and whirled about in rage. Imoen's stab hadn't bit as deep as she had wanted, but at least she had disrupted the druid's spell. Now she was in trouble however, as the man attacked her furiously with his club.
Faldorn pierced another illusion, leaving Aidan with two images and himself. He hadn't wasted his breather however, and blasted the woman with another "Magic Missile" trio, this time felling the Shadow druid. With his enemy lying on the ground, Aidan concentrated his focus on the standing enemies.
Izefia had proven to be quite skilled with his scimitar, but against a fully armored and magically armed warrior it was only a matter of time. After a skillful feint, Khalid knocked his opponent's curved blade off his hand and slashed a huge wound across Izefia's chest and stomach. The Shadow druid fell with a pained grunt, trying futilely to keep his guts from spilling out.
Another lightning struck, finally felling the already wounded bear. Khalid ran to Coran's aid while Jaheira did the same for Imoen. Aidan approached the two warriors and the bear, wincing slightly as one of the massive paws just barely missed tearing the carefree elf's head off his shoulders. Khalid jumped closer and sunk Varscona hilt-deep into the bear's side. Roaring in pain and anger, the massive animal turned lightning fast and smashed the heavily armored half-elf aside like a vengeful god. Khalid landed several meters away and lay still.
The bear then turned back to Coran, lunging after the elf with renewed vigour. Aidan started casting, knowing full well that the situation was getting desperate for the nimble archer. He launched another of his new spells at the animal, "Melf's Acid Arrow". The sizzling arrow hit the bear's side very close to where Varscona was still embedded, eliciting another cry of rage from the now fatally wounded beast.
It let Coran go and started to lumber towards the young wizard. But Aidan saw that it was too late, his acidic missile was embedded in the bear's vital organs and pumping out new acid continuously. The animal fell over, and lay on the ground, whimpering in pain. Coran ran over and ended it's suffering with two swift and accurate strikes, separating the huge head from it's body.
At the same time, the last Shadow druid wasn't giving up easily. He had dodged Jaheira's first blow and smashed Imoen's short sword from her hand with his shield. As the disarmed rogue tried to jump away from the melee, her foe skillfully clocked her on the head with his club. Luckily for Imoen, it was only a glancing blow, but for the moment she was out of the fight. Jaheira gave the man a punishing twack on the ribs with her enchanted staff, but the Shadow druid didn't seem to care. He hit her back and smashed his club into her right hand.
With a yelp, the warrior druid dropped her staff. Realizing she was now helpless in melee, Jaheira quickly stepped back, drawing her dagger. The man didn't follow, instead choosing to start spell casting. Recognizing the prayer as the same one that had conjured the two bears, Jaheira rushed towards him, knowing that the fight needed to end now.
She didn't make it, for a third lighting bolt struck. The last Shadow druids prayer changed into a scream as his body jerked and spasmed in the violent throes of the massive electrical shock. Then his voice fell silent and the charred ruin of his corpse fell down in a heap and lay there, smoking. The battle was over.
As the companions ran to aid their wounded, a hateful pair of eyes looked at them. The dark haired druidess, Faldorn cursed them silently and painfully crawled away from the victors while she still had time. She needed to report that powerful enemies of nature, including a false druid were on their way. Despite her own pain, Faldorn smiled. Amarande would know what to do.
*-*-*
The companions didn't notice the missing Shadow druid until it was too late. Khalid had only been knocked cold, but it still took some effort to wake him up. Aidan and Imoen had been worried about Faldorn's escape but Jaheira didn't care.
Let her crawl back to this Shadow "arch druid" and tell them that the pretender's time was over. She vowed that she would avenge Seniyad's death.
Aldeth stepped out again and congratulated the companions. Jaheira scoffed at the man, having no real sympathy for the man and his comrades. Hunting and killing animals for fun was a heinous thing to do, and if they weren't on an important quest she might have taken the fop to task for the matter. Still, it was not worth killing over, like the Shadow druids believed.
The merchant didn't notice her expression though, and thanked them profusely.
"I give you my gratitude for the aid you have given us. If you ever travel to Baldur's Gate, come to the Merchant's League and I will aid you in any way I can. Take now this small token of my appreciation." He said, handing them a small potion labeled "Heroism".
The merchant also asked the companions to spend the rest of the night in the lodge with him and his servants, to which they agreed. Jaheira took the first watch. She returned outside and sat on a large rock.
Seniyad was dead. Yet another of her mentors gone, just like Gorion. There was still Dermin, the man who had originally brought her into the Harpers. She missed him, his wisdom and quiet dignity. How many years it had been since she, Khalid, Gorion, Seniyad and Dermin had adventured together? Jaheira smiled in fond memory. She and Khalid had been the young hotheads back then. Or at least she had been, Khalid usually avoiding danger while she plunged in head first.
Those day were gone. She was now the experienced one in this party. Sighing, Jaheira shook her head and looked up the sky, at the stars. At least she would always have them. Some things were eternal.
*-*-*
In the morning the companions parted with Aldeth and his servants, heading deeper into the depths of Cloakwood.
There were no real paths here unlike in the Wood of Sharp Teeth, so traveling was somewhat difficult. They also periodically encountered huge cobwebs, made by the various arachnids in the area. Soon they were once again attacked by the huge hairy spiders.
Aidan held out of the frontlines with Imoen and Coran, letting the armored warriors kill the hideous things. He was forced to step in during one particularly violent skirmish, though.
Khalid had just killed a spider and was preparing to move against another one when a huge tangled web fell on him from the treetops. The half-elf fell down with a yelp, having lost his balance and gotten entangled in the sticky strands. Jaheira was engaged elsewhere so Aidan hastily ran to Khalid and began tearing the strands off him.
Without warning, a huge hairy spider dropped from the same tree as the web had and attacked him. Aidan felt burning pain as the creature sunk it's poisonous mandibles on his leg. Screaming in pain, he hacked at it with his knife. The spider didn't let go until it was dead, it's thick green goop dripping all over Aidan's robes. The wizard frantically dug for an elixir of health from his bags, until he remembered having given away his vials for Khalid and Jaheira. Panicking, he used his mysterious abilities to stave off the inevitable as he felt burning pain spread through his body. It wouldn't heal the poison, he knew that but...
The pain ceased. Something new was happening. His wounds had closed as he had expected, but the poison too had disappeared from his system. Somehow he knew that. Jaheira ran over and almost started her prayer until she saw Aidan shake his head.
"I... I'm alright. I cured the poison, I don't know how I did it but..." he tried to explain while Jaheira looked at him, relieved but also worried.
*-*-*
"He... hello travelers, I'm Tiber."
The person greeting them was dressed in haphazard leather armor and clumsily carried a spear in his hands. They had come across him while crossing a small river.
"Could... could I take up some of your time? I would be very grateful if you would just listen to... if you would just help me!" the young man was very anxious about something.
"What is it that troubles you stranger?" Coran asked him in his relaxed style, while simultaneously admiring the great view opening from the high cliffs to the sea. They were on the shore, having had to search for a river crossing for some time now.
The nervous looking youth in the ill-fitting armor let out a visible sigh of relief and began to eagerly explain.
"Thank you! Thank... you... it's my brother you see." He began nervously.
"He and I went into the Cloakwood to clear the woods of the spider colony that infests it. I know it sounds foolish... but my brother had found the sword 'Spider's Bane'! The sword was created to kill spiders... and we thought we could become famous... the heroes of Cloakwood, and all that." The youth blushed and looked at his feet unhappily.
"But my brother hasn't returned yet... and it's been more than a week. Please, could you go into the woods and find him for me... my mother would be so shattered if Chelak were to be dead." He pleaded them, anguish giving energy to his thin voice.
Aidan shuddered to think what might have happened to a lone traveler caught by the giant spiders, no matter how well armed.
"W-we'll find your brother for you, don't w-worry." Khalid consoled the young man, who seemed relieved at hearing their agreement.
"Oh yes! Please search quickly... his name's Chelak. Be careful." He told them, taking off his helmet and sitting down on a rock to wait for them.
*-*-*
If it wasn't for the ever present threat of spiders, Aidan might have enjoyed himself. They were walking on the edge of the cliffs, on the other side a majestic forest, on the other a 50 meter drop in to the ocean. The weather was lovely and the sounds of gulls reminded him of home. Distractedly, he noticed Coran stop in front of him and take a quick shot.
A quick shot!? At the same time the sharp-eyed elf yelled a warning as a hideous keening wail heralded his arrow's flight to be true. Several nightmarish forms lumbered into view from their foiled ambush. They were mottled gray in coloration and had bulging heads, insectoid eyes and hideous, thin and spidery arms. Ettercaps, Aidan realized as Coran and Imoen fired several new shafts dropping one of the humanoid creatures and wounding another. Quickly he cast a "Melf's Acid Arrow" at the closest one, causing it to wail in hurt and anger. The wounded Ettercap tried to attack the wizard but Khalid intercepted it. The other monsters had also made it into melee range and Imoen and Coran too were forced to draw their swords.
Despite their lumbering and clumsy appearance, the ettercaps struck quickly and with great fury, causing even Khalid to back a few steps. Their fingers were long and thin but strong, tipped with razor claws. Aidan saw Imoen scream in pain as one Ettercap raked it's claws across her leg, shredding her pants and skin like paper. It paid for it's greed for the girl's blood, though, as Coran lopped it's head clean off it's shoulder's in an amazingly dexterous move. Another monstrous humanoid loomed near, and would have managed to perhaps jump on the elf if Aidan hadn't cast his newest spell at it.
A searing bolt of fire, a "Flame Arrow", flew from his hands and impacted on the Ettercap. Gurgling in surprise and agony, the beast fell down as flames engulfed it. Coran turned in amazement, seeing such powerful spells from this young, seemingly inexperienced wizard for the first time. Seeing that Khalid and Jaheira had battered the last spider-kin to death, Aidan was pleased to be congratulated by the impressed rogues.
Imoen enjoyed seeing Aidan happy. It was nice to see her serious and nowadays often gloomy friend smile out of sincere pleasure. At the same time she was intrigued. Aidan had certainly grown in power. Magic had always fascinated her, but up until now she had considered it too time consuming and tedious to learn. Seeing it used up close was something else.
All in all, they had been lucky. Near where the Ettercaps had been hiding, they found an elaborate web trap. If they had walked in it, it would have been very likely that the spider-kin would now be feasting on their blood.
*-*-*
"What is that. thing?!"
The object of Imoen's puzzlement was a huge pavilion, seeming stitched together from animal skins and spider silk. It was a structure, perhaps one created by the Ettercaps Jaheira theorized.
The companions had decided to investigate it and were nearing the single opening carefully when the forest erupted with screeches as about ten huge spiders attacked them from all directions. Quick to react as always, Coran killed one hairy arachnid with a quickly shot pair of arrows while Imoen managed to wound another. Aidan managed to cast his "Mirror Image" just in time before he was attacked by a new kind of monstrosity, a huge gray spider which moved with lightning speed and attacked using it's razor sharp forelegs instead of it's mandibles.
The Sword Spider, as Aidan recognized it, was quickly wearing down his illusionary images. Hoping to distract the beast, he launched a "Magic Missile" spell at the flailing thing, causing it to hiss in pain. Retreating quickly, he saw to his relief that the others were seemingly holding their own. Coran and Imoen were once again fighting as a team while both Khalid and Jaheira fought on their own against multiple enemies. Already three more of the "regular" hairy spiders were on the ground, dead or dying.
The wizard saw that he didn't have any more time as the Sword Spider let out a hissing gurgle and again lunged at him. Aidan cast a "Chromatic Orb" at the beast, praying for the stunning effect to work. It did! The magical globe impacted on the spider just as it had demolished Aidan's two last images and was preparing to pounce on him. The wizard didn't hesitate, and cast his "Strength" spell on himself. Grabbing his staff, he began to pound on the stunned arachnid with his magically enhanced muscles, smashing the hapless beast into greenish-gray sludge in short order.
Running to Khalid's aid, he killed the second of his foes with a single, powerful blow allowing the half-elf to concentrate on the remaining spider and kill it quickly. Their foes dead, the companions took a short breather and prepared to enter the dome.
As they neared the construct, Aidan nearly puked from the horrid rotten odor wafting from the opening. Quietly, taking great care to not make any noise the companions entered the pavilion. The terrible smell was only stronger inside, and as soon as his eyes got used to the dark, Aidan saw several figures in the middle of the "floor".
The figures were huddling together, and included several spiders, including a Sword Spider to Aidan's dismay. Nodding at his companions, he opened the shutters of their lantern to let the light shine on the "room". The spiders were huddled around a slain deer, sucking it of blood. As the light suddenly flared, they fled to the corners of the room, leaving the deer and something else on the center.
The "something else" was a hideously deformed, obese female being. Hissing venomously, she tried to shield her eyes from the light with her flabby hands. To his disgust, Aidan saw that the woman-thing too had been sucking the deer's blood, for fresh blood ran from the corner's of her mouth.
"Kill the meat, my pets." She managed to hiss, in common tongue.
The spiders seemed to understand, and they started to approach the companions threateningly.
"Hey wait!" Aidan yelled, trying to buy time. He didn't want another battle just now, with most of his spells already cast.
"We've come here... to... to benefit from your divine wisdom. Let us speak." He offered, hoping that the bloated mockery of a life would understand reason.
"You've come here to learn from my infinite wissssdom. Sssspeak quickly!" it burbled in a pleased voice, shifting it's squishy bulk around for a better view at the companions.
"What's your name?" Aidan asked quickly, trying to think of possible questions he might ask from the thing.
"My name isss... isss... Centeol, yesss, that is my name." The creature mumbled, then hissed a sharp breath as if in agony.
"Aidannn..." Jaheira hissed, alarm in her voice. The young wizard looked and saw that the spiders were edging closer. Centeol was now hissing slightly to itself, eyeing the companions hungrily.
"Do you know anything about the Iron Throne?" the young wizard tried.
"I know nothing of this 'Iron Throne'. You sshall now all die!" the woman- thing hissed and gave a snarl that sounded like a command.
But Aidan had expected this, and mentally prepared his next move. Intoning the short words of power he launched a fiery "FireBall" straight into the hideous spider-woman's ugly face. With a thunderous explosion the ball of fire engulfed her and most of her spiders. The Sword Spider managed to stagger out, it's chitinous shell smoking. Khalid jumped at the opportunity and cooled the dangerous arachnid down with Varscona. It died with a hissing death rattle. As the smoke faded, the companions saw the awesome devastation Aidan's magic had caused. At least six spiders and the hideous woman mutant had all been destroyed by casting a single spell.
*-*-*
It took some time, but the companions managed to dig through the mysterious Centeol's home. They found the remains of a young man and an impressive black and silver two handed sword, obviously poor Chelak and the "Spider's Bane". As he was still the strongest of the due to his "Strength" spell, Aidan took the task of carrying the drained and mummified corpse back to Tiber. They also found some gold and gems, which Khalid picked up to carry in his pack.
No more spiders attacked them as they returned to the river where Tiber was waiting.
"Chelak! Oh... Chelak." Tiber wailed as he saw his brother's body on Aidan's shoulder.
"How will I ever tell my mother. I was so stupid! I should have stopped this stupid idea. Such a waste... such a waste." He moaned, burying his head in his hands.
"You can keep the damn sword, it's been more of a curse than anything else. I thank you for bringing my brother's body. There was little you could have done." He sniffed through his tears, as Imoen tapped him sympathetically on the shoulder. Aidan pitied the poor fellow, but knew that they couldn't tarry too long. Their own tasks awaited them and those had nothing to do with the spiders.
After making sure that Tiber was going to cope, they left him with final words of encouragement and some of the gems. It was only fitting, since the sword could turn out to be very valuable indeed.
*-*-*
Night had fallen for the second time since they entered the forest.
Aidan was standing guard, committing his spells to memory.
"Hi!"
The wizard jumped slightly, and turned an accusing glare at Imoen who had sat beside him.
"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" he asked her, somewhat peeved at the interruption.
"Yea, I guess. But I wanted to ask you something." She answered, looking at his spell book with some interest.
"So spit it out! I'm trying to study here." Aidan said irritably. He was in no mood of being teased for the more distasteful components he might have to use or something equally frivolous.
"I want to start learning magic, too. Can you teach me?" she asked him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"What...? No! I mean, no. I can't help you, I'm just a glorified apprentice myself!" he managed to respond, shocked. Imoen wanting to be a mage?!
"Apprentice! Hmph! A "FireBall" chucking apprentice who has a dragon familiar and other equally powerful stuff! Don't even start!" she laughed at him.
Aidan thought for a moment. Yes, Imoen was smart enough. Quite easily. But was she mature enough to handle the kind of responsibility that came with such power as he himself had by now attained?
"Well... I didn't lie. I can't teach you, I just don't have the necessary skills yet myself. And the training takes years anyway!" he offered, but saw that Imoen had made her choice by now. Her eyes were dreamy as she smiled, probably already envisioning herself as a mage of power.
"That's okay. But you can tell me everything you know. And I can observe what you do. Then after we have solved this current fracas I'll apprentice myself to some dirty old mage who'll take any purty little girl as an apprentice in return for some..."
Aidan looked at her with stunned disbelief, until he realized she was pulling his leg when she couldn't suppress a giggle at his expense.
"Some "fracas" indeed! If and I mean IF we manage to solve the mystery of this Iron Throne and the identity of the people who desire my death, then yes, by all the means begin studying magic." He snapped, not liking being the butt of jokes.
"And I can help you on the way. Like you said yourself: observe what I do, how I do it and when I do it. That should help you understand some of the basics of casting spells, help you when you eventually apprentice yourself. And if you have questions..." he saw Imoen open her mouth to begin tormenting him with endless queries.
"...Talk to Mara. She's a better spellcaster than I am." He finished, sighing in relief as he saw her nod.
He also knew that his respite would only be momentary. The dragon way of casting spells was very different than his own, and he knew Imoen would soon start to pester him again. But for tonight, he would be at peace. Nodding at his friend as she returned to her bedroll, Aidan briefly exulted in his own prowess. He was advancing very quickly. At times he felt like his whole being was committed to his self-advancement.
Sighing happily, he immersed himself in his studies.
*-*-*
In the morning, the companions continued their advance deeper into the forest. Coran acted as their scout, since Aidan was loathe to allow Mara to risk herself in this vermin infested thicket.
After travelling few hours, they crested a small hill. Aidan saw a huge tree and a stone circle in the distance.
Turning to look at Jaheira he saw that the druid was trying hard to suppress the anger threatening to boil over as she watched the former home of her old friend Seniyad. Now probably infested with Shadow druids.
"That large tree is where Seniyad used to live. We should make a visit there." She commented in an icy tone and started to descend the hill. A river crossed their path and squinting, Aidan could see a bridge crossing it.
They were most likely heading into a conflict. Again.
But if the Shadow druids attempted to stand in their way, they would find out that these were no neophyte dungeon crawlers they were facing. If necessary, he could blast the druids into charcoal with his new fire spells Aidan smirked to himself, totally forgetting the previous lessons against arrogance he had learned the hard way.
Whistling in his not-so-clear tone, he followed after his friends.
Chapter 13 - Shadows and tall trees
Aldeth Sashenstar was afraid.
This little hunting expedition to Cloakwood hadn't quite turned out like he had planned. Elban had died after they had been attacked by a band of uncouth savages and Aldeth knew they were coming for him next. Cursing himself for being arrogant, he wished he had Brandilar by his side. But no, he had left his guards back at Baldur's Gate, foolishly choosing to believe in his own prowess.
Someone was approaching, he noticed. His dogs sprang up and began to growl. The two servants responsible for the hounds seemed jittery and scared. Aldeth ordered them head into the hunting lodge his company owned. He was many things, a foppish merchant foremost. But he was no coward.
"Who goes there!" he yelled raising Kondar, his enchanted bastard sword and family heirloom in a clumsy defensive stance.
To his amazement and relief, it wasn't the bloodthirsty woodsmen but actually civilized looking folk who emerged from the thicket. He could instantly see that these men and women were well armed and moved with the same practiced confidence as his own bodyguard Brandilar.
The lead man, a brown haired youth wearing dark gray robes and carrying a staff addressed him:
"We're adventurers hailing from Beregost. I am known as Aidan, he is Khalid," he pointed towards a heavily armored half-elf who stammered a greeting to Aldeth,
"there's Jaheira," another half-elf, this one female and carrying a white staff,
"Imoen, " a young red haired girl in form-fitting dark clothes, leather armor and armed with a fine short bow,
"and finally, Coran." The gray robe finished, pointing at a smiling elf carrying a long bow in his hand.
Aldeth thought furiously. Perhaps he could gain the aid of these travelers? Those savages could return at any moment.
"Oh, I apologize for my rudeness, I mistook you for someone else. Let me introduce myself, I am Aldeth Sashenstar." He offered earnestly.
"You must understand that at the moment I'm under a terrible amount of stress." He continued, some emotion creeping to his nasal voice.
"You see my dear fellows, there is a group of uncouth savages that has declared their intention of killing my friends and I. I've been holed up in this cabin for several days, and have lacked the wherewithal to try and make an escape. Perhaps you kind sirs would help a fellow in trouble?" he pleaded, switching his gaze between the companions.
The young robed leader was about to speak when the half-elf woman whispered something to his ear. The youth (obviously some sort of a wizard, Aldeth thought) nodded at her.
"Yes, we would." He said.
Aldeth felt like a huge weight had lifted from his shoulders. Perhaps he would live to see his home city after all?
"Good men! I'm glad you had the sense of decency to help a man in my situation. Let me explain my predicament. My friends and I come here every year to do some sport hunting." He began, noticing that the half-elf woman sneered at this. Coughing slightly he continued hastily,
"This year however, a group of woodland savages threatened us with bodily harm if we did not stop our hunting trip. Being civilized men we realized that it's well within our rights to hunt where we damn well please." The half-elf's scowl deepened. Aldeth couldn't understand what it was with elves. Luckily for him the wench didn't seem to lead her group!
"After a few more days of hunting the crass woodmen lost all pretense of humanity and murdered Elban, one of my oldest friends. I'm sure that they plan to attack our cottage here, so we had best be prepared." He finished, looking at the young robed fellow. The half-elf once again whispered something to him.
Aldeth felt droplets of cold sweat drip down his back. What were they conferring about? Had he confided to a group of ruffians? Were they going to jump him and finish what those savages had started?
Aidan had no such plans, of course. He and Jaheira had merely agreed to aid Aldeth, despite the druid's instant dislike of the foppish fellow. Sport hunting of animals was frowned upon in her order, but it wasn't considered to be an offense worth killing for. Shadow druids however equated it with murder, and ruthlessly punished anyone caught in the act.
Still, it would be a chance to sleep indoors for one night. The companions had been attacked by swarms of tasloi earlier, and despite handily defeating the small forest dwellers they had sustained some injuries.
Unpacking his gear, Aidan drew out his spellbook and sat on a comfortable chair near the fireplace. He hadn't been wounded, and while the others rested he resolved to try and learn the spell "FireBall".
*-*-*
Having finished her own prayers and required meditation, Jaheira went outside.
The hunting lodge was situated on a small clearing, and she could see the stars clearly in the cloudless night sky. She was worried for her fellow druids. Seniyad would never allow any Shadow druids to exist in his forest. She muttered a small prayer to Silvanus, hoping that her old friend and mentor was alive.
"Damn you Kivan."
She could have used the elven ranger and his skill with the bow right now. Not that Coran had disappointed her. The other elf had astonished them all with his masterful archery earlier, killing a tasloi with every arrow that he had fired. No, it wasn't that. There had just been something so dependable and rocklike in Kivan. Coran was too glib, Imoen and Aidan were still children.
No, not children she berated herself. They had mounted an impressive rescue operation against that ogre mage and his cohorts, and she and Khalid owed their lives both to the young humans. Jaheira pursed her mouth in thought. The young wizard was already learning spells like "FireBall" and "Flame Arrow".
He was advancing very quickly in his mastery of the "Art". It was true that humans generally did so faster than any other race, but still...
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sight of three heat signatures in the forest. They were brazenly approaching without any thought of stealth.
Jaheira knew that the moment had come, and she yelled an alarm to her comrades still in the lodge. Conflict with the heretics was imminent.
*-*-*
Everyone had made it out of the lodge more or less prepared as the three hostile looking strangers strolled into the clearing.
The leader was a middle-aged man dressed in thick hides and wielding a club and a wooden shield. He was accompanied by stern, dark haired young woman armed with a spear and a scarred, bald man wielding a scimitar. The leader spotted Aldeth skulking behind Khalid and smiled, his eyes growing even colder, if at all possible.
"That man is an enemy of nature. Give him over or you shall all share his punishment." The ultimatum was delivered in a calm, cold tone of voice.
Aidan glanced at Jaheira, preferring to let her deal with these obviously dangerous fanatics. The druidess was only happy to oblige.
"Begone from here, vile heretics! This man is under the protection of the true druidic order now. Leave this forest, your ignorant practices are not welcome in the wood of Seniyad!" she snarled, not bothering to keep anger from her voice.
The leading Shadow druid stared at Jaheira, his eyes filled with malice now.
"So another one of you mewling weaklings has crawled back to Cloakwood. Know this: Seniyad is no more!" he said, seemingly relishing Jaheira's reaction to the news.
"Amarande is now the Shadow arch druid here, and we shall kill every defiler who dares to set his foot in this sacred wood! Faldorn, Izefia! Kill these enemies of nature!" he yelled, starting spell casting immediately.
His female underling did likewise, while Izefia blocked Khalid's quick swing with his scimitar. Jaheira started her own prayer to Silvanus while Imoen drew her blade and stealthily attempted to circle the fray. Coran sidestepped the two sword fighters and shot an arrow at the enemy leader. Unfortunately he was too late, and while his aim was true the Shadow druid had finished his spell. Two huge cave bears appeared out of thin air and immediately closed to engage the hapless elf, roaring in rage.
Faldorn never finished her spell, for she was hit by three "Magic Missiles" courtesy of Aidan. Her spell ruined, the young Shadow druid shot a murderous glare at the wizard and charged him with her spear in her hands. Aidan had been prepared to this, however and followed his first spell with a "Mirror Image". Bewildered, his foe tried to skewer one of the illusionary forms with her weapon, only to see it vanish and the remaining images blur and shift position.
Jaheira finished her own spell, causing a thundering bolt of lightning strike from the sky, hitting one of the bears. It ceased attacking the elf, whimpering in pain it's fur smoking and sizzling. Coran was dexterously dodging the massive paws of the other bear, nicking it every now and then with his sword.
The hide clad enemy leader was preparing for another spell when he suddenly screamed in pain, and whirled about in rage. Imoen's stab hadn't bit as deep as she had wanted, but at least she had disrupted the druid's spell. Now she was in trouble however, as the man attacked her furiously with his club.
Faldorn pierced another illusion, leaving Aidan with two images and himself. He hadn't wasted his breather however, and blasted the woman with another "Magic Missile" trio, this time felling the Shadow druid. With his enemy lying on the ground, Aidan concentrated his focus on the standing enemies.
Izefia had proven to be quite skilled with his scimitar, but against a fully armored and magically armed warrior it was only a matter of time. After a skillful feint, Khalid knocked his opponent's curved blade off his hand and slashed a huge wound across Izefia's chest and stomach. The Shadow druid fell with a pained grunt, trying futilely to keep his guts from spilling out.
Another lightning struck, finally felling the already wounded bear. Khalid ran to Coran's aid while Jaheira did the same for Imoen. Aidan approached the two warriors and the bear, wincing slightly as one of the massive paws just barely missed tearing the carefree elf's head off his shoulders. Khalid jumped closer and sunk Varscona hilt-deep into the bear's side. Roaring in pain and anger, the massive animal turned lightning fast and smashed the heavily armored half-elf aside like a vengeful god. Khalid landed several meters away and lay still.
The bear then turned back to Coran, lunging after the elf with renewed vigour. Aidan started casting, knowing full well that the situation was getting desperate for the nimble archer. He launched another of his new spells at the animal, "Melf's Acid Arrow". The sizzling arrow hit the bear's side very close to where Varscona was still embedded, eliciting another cry of rage from the now fatally wounded beast.
It let Coran go and started to lumber towards the young wizard. But Aidan saw that it was too late, his acidic missile was embedded in the bear's vital organs and pumping out new acid continuously. The animal fell over, and lay on the ground, whimpering in pain. Coran ran over and ended it's suffering with two swift and accurate strikes, separating the huge head from it's body.
At the same time, the last Shadow druid wasn't giving up easily. He had dodged Jaheira's first blow and smashed Imoen's short sword from her hand with his shield. As the disarmed rogue tried to jump away from the melee, her foe skillfully clocked her on the head with his club. Luckily for Imoen, it was only a glancing blow, but for the moment she was out of the fight. Jaheira gave the man a punishing twack on the ribs with her enchanted staff, but the Shadow druid didn't seem to care. He hit her back and smashed his club into her right hand.
With a yelp, the warrior druid dropped her staff. Realizing she was now helpless in melee, Jaheira quickly stepped back, drawing her dagger. The man didn't follow, instead choosing to start spell casting. Recognizing the prayer as the same one that had conjured the two bears, Jaheira rushed towards him, knowing that the fight needed to end now.
She didn't make it, for a third lighting bolt struck. The last Shadow druids prayer changed into a scream as his body jerked and spasmed in the violent throes of the massive electrical shock. Then his voice fell silent and the charred ruin of his corpse fell down in a heap and lay there, smoking. The battle was over.
As the companions ran to aid their wounded, a hateful pair of eyes looked at them. The dark haired druidess, Faldorn cursed them silently and painfully crawled away from the victors while she still had time. She needed to report that powerful enemies of nature, including a false druid were on their way. Despite her own pain, Faldorn smiled. Amarande would know what to do.
*-*-*
The companions didn't notice the missing Shadow druid until it was too late. Khalid had only been knocked cold, but it still took some effort to wake him up. Aidan and Imoen had been worried about Faldorn's escape but Jaheira didn't care.
Let her crawl back to this Shadow "arch druid" and tell them that the pretender's time was over. She vowed that she would avenge Seniyad's death.
Aldeth stepped out again and congratulated the companions. Jaheira scoffed at the man, having no real sympathy for the man and his comrades. Hunting and killing animals for fun was a heinous thing to do, and if they weren't on an important quest she might have taken the fop to task for the matter. Still, it was not worth killing over, like the Shadow druids believed.
The merchant didn't notice her expression though, and thanked them profusely.
"I give you my gratitude for the aid you have given us. If you ever travel to Baldur's Gate, come to the Merchant's League and I will aid you in any way I can. Take now this small token of my appreciation." He said, handing them a small potion labeled "Heroism".
The merchant also asked the companions to spend the rest of the night in the lodge with him and his servants, to which they agreed. Jaheira took the first watch. She returned outside and sat on a large rock.
Seniyad was dead. Yet another of her mentors gone, just like Gorion. There was still Dermin, the man who had originally brought her into the Harpers. She missed him, his wisdom and quiet dignity. How many years it had been since she, Khalid, Gorion, Seniyad and Dermin had adventured together? Jaheira smiled in fond memory. She and Khalid had been the young hotheads back then. Or at least she had been, Khalid usually avoiding danger while she plunged in head first.
Those day were gone. She was now the experienced one in this party. Sighing, Jaheira shook her head and looked up the sky, at the stars. At least she would always have them. Some things were eternal.
*-*-*
In the morning the companions parted with Aldeth and his servants, heading deeper into the depths of Cloakwood.
There were no real paths here unlike in the Wood of Sharp Teeth, so traveling was somewhat difficult. They also periodically encountered huge cobwebs, made by the various arachnids in the area. Soon they were once again attacked by the huge hairy spiders.
Aidan held out of the frontlines with Imoen and Coran, letting the armored warriors kill the hideous things. He was forced to step in during one particularly violent skirmish, though.
Khalid had just killed a spider and was preparing to move against another one when a huge tangled web fell on him from the treetops. The half-elf fell down with a yelp, having lost his balance and gotten entangled in the sticky strands. Jaheira was engaged elsewhere so Aidan hastily ran to Khalid and began tearing the strands off him.
Without warning, a huge hairy spider dropped from the same tree as the web had and attacked him. Aidan felt burning pain as the creature sunk it's poisonous mandibles on his leg. Screaming in pain, he hacked at it with his knife. The spider didn't let go until it was dead, it's thick green goop dripping all over Aidan's robes. The wizard frantically dug for an elixir of health from his bags, until he remembered having given away his vials for Khalid and Jaheira. Panicking, he used his mysterious abilities to stave off the inevitable as he felt burning pain spread through his body. It wouldn't heal the poison, he knew that but...
The pain ceased. Something new was happening. His wounds had closed as he had expected, but the poison too had disappeared from his system. Somehow he knew that. Jaheira ran over and almost started her prayer until she saw Aidan shake his head.
"I... I'm alright. I cured the poison, I don't know how I did it but..." he tried to explain while Jaheira looked at him, relieved but also worried.
*-*-*
"He... hello travelers, I'm Tiber."
The person greeting them was dressed in haphazard leather armor and clumsily carried a spear in his hands. They had come across him while crossing a small river.
"Could... could I take up some of your time? I would be very grateful if you would just listen to... if you would just help me!" the young man was very anxious about something.
"What is it that troubles you stranger?" Coran asked him in his relaxed style, while simultaneously admiring the great view opening from the high cliffs to the sea. They were on the shore, having had to search for a river crossing for some time now.
The nervous looking youth in the ill-fitting armor let out a visible sigh of relief and began to eagerly explain.
"Thank you! Thank... you... it's my brother you see." He began nervously.
"He and I went into the Cloakwood to clear the woods of the spider colony that infests it. I know it sounds foolish... but my brother had found the sword 'Spider's Bane'! The sword was created to kill spiders... and we thought we could become famous... the heroes of Cloakwood, and all that." The youth blushed and looked at his feet unhappily.
"But my brother hasn't returned yet... and it's been more than a week. Please, could you go into the woods and find him for me... my mother would be so shattered if Chelak were to be dead." He pleaded them, anguish giving energy to his thin voice.
Aidan shuddered to think what might have happened to a lone traveler caught by the giant spiders, no matter how well armed.
"W-we'll find your brother for you, don't w-worry." Khalid consoled the young man, who seemed relieved at hearing their agreement.
"Oh yes! Please search quickly... his name's Chelak. Be careful." He told them, taking off his helmet and sitting down on a rock to wait for them.
*-*-*
If it wasn't for the ever present threat of spiders, Aidan might have enjoyed himself. They were walking on the edge of the cliffs, on the other side a majestic forest, on the other a 50 meter drop in to the ocean. The weather was lovely and the sounds of gulls reminded him of home. Distractedly, he noticed Coran stop in front of him and take a quick shot.
A quick shot!? At the same time the sharp-eyed elf yelled a warning as a hideous keening wail heralded his arrow's flight to be true. Several nightmarish forms lumbered into view from their foiled ambush. They were mottled gray in coloration and had bulging heads, insectoid eyes and hideous, thin and spidery arms. Ettercaps, Aidan realized as Coran and Imoen fired several new shafts dropping one of the humanoid creatures and wounding another. Quickly he cast a "Melf's Acid Arrow" at the closest one, causing it to wail in hurt and anger. The wounded Ettercap tried to attack the wizard but Khalid intercepted it. The other monsters had also made it into melee range and Imoen and Coran too were forced to draw their swords.
Despite their lumbering and clumsy appearance, the ettercaps struck quickly and with great fury, causing even Khalid to back a few steps. Their fingers were long and thin but strong, tipped with razor claws. Aidan saw Imoen scream in pain as one Ettercap raked it's claws across her leg, shredding her pants and skin like paper. It paid for it's greed for the girl's blood, though, as Coran lopped it's head clean off it's shoulder's in an amazingly dexterous move. Another monstrous humanoid loomed near, and would have managed to perhaps jump on the elf if Aidan hadn't cast his newest spell at it.
A searing bolt of fire, a "Flame Arrow", flew from his hands and impacted on the Ettercap. Gurgling in surprise and agony, the beast fell down as flames engulfed it. Coran turned in amazement, seeing such powerful spells from this young, seemingly inexperienced wizard for the first time. Seeing that Khalid and Jaheira had battered the last spider-kin to death, Aidan was pleased to be congratulated by the impressed rogues.
Imoen enjoyed seeing Aidan happy. It was nice to see her serious and nowadays often gloomy friend smile out of sincere pleasure. At the same time she was intrigued. Aidan had certainly grown in power. Magic had always fascinated her, but up until now she had considered it too time consuming and tedious to learn. Seeing it used up close was something else.
All in all, they had been lucky. Near where the Ettercaps had been hiding, they found an elaborate web trap. If they had walked in it, it would have been very likely that the spider-kin would now be feasting on their blood.
*-*-*
"What is that. thing?!"
The object of Imoen's puzzlement was a huge pavilion, seeming stitched together from animal skins and spider silk. It was a structure, perhaps one created by the Ettercaps Jaheira theorized.
The companions had decided to investigate it and were nearing the single opening carefully when the forest erupted with screeches as about ten huge spiders attacked them from all directions. Quick to react as always, Coran killed one hairy arachnid with a quickly shot pair of arrows while Imoen managed to wound another. Aidan managed to cast his "Mirror Image" just in time before he was attacked by a new kind of monstrosity, a huge gray spider which moved with lightning speed and attacked using it's razor sharp forelegs instead of it's mandibles.
The Sword Spider, as Aidan recognized it, was quickly wearing down his illusionary images. Hoping to distract the beast, he launched a "Magic Missile" spell at the flailing thing, causing it to hiss in pain. Retreating quickly, he saw to his relief that the others were seemingly holding their own. Coran and Imoen were once again fighting as a team while both Khalid and Jaheira fought on their own against multiple enemies. Already three more of the "regular" hairy spiders were on the ground, dead or dying.
The wizard saw that he didn't have any more time as the Sword Spider let out a hissing gurgle and again lunged at him. Aidan cast a "Chromatic Orb" at the beast, praying for the stunning effect to work. It did! The magical globe impacted on the spider just as it had demolished Aidan's two last images and was preparing to pounce on him. The wizard didn't hesitate, and cast his "Strength" spell on himself. Grabbing his staff, he began to pound on the stunned arachnid with his magically enhanced muscles, smashing the hapless beast into greenish-gray sludge in short order.
Running to Khalid's aid, he killed the second of his foes with a single, powerful blow allowing the half-elf to concentrate on the remaining spider and kill it quickly. Their foes dead, the companions took a short breather and prepared to enter the dome.
As they neared the construct, Aidan nearly puked from the horrid rotten odor wafting from the opening. Quietly, taking great care to not make any noise the companions entered the pavilion. The terrible smell was only stronger inside, and as soon as his eyes got used to the dark, Aidan saw several figures in the middle of the "floor".
The figures were huddling together, and included several spiders, including a Sword Spider to Aidan's dismay. Nodding at his companions, he opened the shutters of their lantern to let the light shine on the "room". The spiders were huddled around a slain deer, sucking it of blood. As the light suddenly flared, they fled to the corners of the room, leaving the deer and something else on the center.
The "something else" was a hideously deformed, obese female being. Hissing venomously, she tried to shield her eyes from the light with her flabby hands. To his disgust, Aidan saw that the woman-thing too had been sucking the deer's blood, for fresh blood ran from the corner's of her mouth.
"Kill the meat, my pets." She managed to hiss, in common tongue.
The spiders seemed to understand, and they started to approach the companions threateningly.
"Hey wait!" Aidan yelled, trying to buy time. He didn't want another battle just now, with most of his spells already cast.
"We've come here... to... to benefit from your divine wisdom. Let us speak." He offered, hoping that the bloated mockery of a life would understand reason.
"You've come here to learn from my infinite wissssdom. Sssspeak quickly!" it burbled in a pleased voice, shifting it's squishy bulk around for a better view at the companions.
"What's your name?" Aidan asked quickly, trying to think of possible questions he might ask from the thing.
"My name isss... isss... Centeol, yesss, that is my name." The creature mumbled, then hissed a sharp breath as if in agony.
"Aidannn..." Jaheira hissed, alarm in her voice. The young wizard looked and saw that the spiders were edging closer. Centeol was now hissing slightly to itself, eyeing the companions hungrily.
"Do you know anything about the Iron Throne?" the young wizard tried.
"I know nothing of this 'Iron Throne'. You sshall now all die!" the woman- thing hissed and gave a snarl that sounded like a command.
But Aidan had expected this, and mentally prepared his next move. Intoning the short words of power he launched a fiery "FireBall" straight into the hideous spider-woman's ugly face. With a thunderous explosion the ball of fire engulfed her and most of her spiders. The Sword Spider managed to stagger out, it's chitinous shell smoking. Khalid jumped at the opportunity and cooled the dangerous arachnid down with Varscona. It died with a hissing death rattle. As the smoke faded, the companions saw the awesome devastation Aidan's magic had caused. At least six spiders and the hideous woman mutant had all been destroyed by casting a single spell.
*-*-*
It took some time, but the companions managed to dig through the mysterious Centeol's home. They found the remains of a young man and an impressive black and silver two handed sword, obviously poor Chelak and the "Spider's Bane". As he was still the strongest of the due to his "Strength" spell, Aidan took the task of carrying the drained and mummified corpse back to Tiber. They also found some gold and gems, which Khalid picked up to carry in his pack.
No more spiders attacked them as they returned to the river where Tiber was waiting.
"Chelak! Oh... Chelak." Tiber wailed as he saw his brother's body on Aidan's shoulder.
"How will I ever tell my mother. I was so stupid! I should have stopped this stupid idea. Such a waste... such a waste." He moaned, burying his head in his hands.
"You can keep the damn sword, it's been more of a curse than anything else. I thank you for bringing my brother's body. There was little you could have done." He sniffed through his tears, as Imoen tapped him sympathetically on the shoulder. Aidan pitied the poor fellow, but knew that they couldn't tarry too long. Their own tasks awaited them and those had nothing to do with the spiders.
After making sure that Tiber was going to cope, they left him with final words of encouragement and some of the gems. It was only fitting, since the sword could turn out to be very valuable indeed.
*-*-*
Night had fallen for the second time since they entered the forest.
Aidan was standing guard, committing his spells to memory.
"Hi!"
The wizard jumped slightly, and turned an accusing glare at Imoen who had sat beside him.
"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" he asked her, somewhat peeved at the interruption.
"Yea, I guess. But I wanted to ask you something." She answered, looking at his spell book with some interest.
"So spit it out! I'm trying to study here." Aidan said irritably. He was in no mood of being teased for the more distasteful components he might have to use or something equally frivolous.
"I want to start learning magic, too. Can you teach me?" she asked him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"What...? No! I mean, no. I can't help you, I'm just a glorified apprentice myself!" he managed to respond, shocked. Imoen wanting to be a mage?!
"Apprentice! Hmph! A "FireBall" chucking apprentice who has a dragon familiar and other equally powerful stuff! Don't even start!" she laughed at him.
Aidan thought for a moment. Yes, Imoen was smart enough. Quite easily. But was she mature enough to handle the kind of responsibility that came with such power as he himself had by now attained?
"Well... I didn't lie. I can't teach you, I just don't have the necessary skills yet myself. And the training takes years anyway!" he offered, but saw that Imoen had made her choice by now. Her eyes were dreamy as she smiled, probably already envisioning herself as a mage of power.
"That's okay. But you can tell me everything you know. And I can observe what you do. Then after we have solved this current fracas I'll apprentice myself to some dirty old mage who'll take any purty little girl as an apprentice in return for some..."
Aidan looked at her with stunned disbelief, until he realized she was pulling his leg when she couldn't suppress a giggle at his expense.
"Some "fracas" indeed! If and I mean IF we manage to solve the mystery of this Iron Throne and the identity of the people who desire my death, then yes, by all the means begin studying magic." He snapped, not liking being the butt of jokes.
"And I can help you on the way. Like you said yourself: observe what I do, how I do it and when I do it. That should help you understand some of the basics of casting spells, help you when you eventually apprentice yourself. And if you have questions..." he saw Imoen open her mouth to begin tormenting him with endless queries.
"...Talk to Mara. She's a better spellcaster than I am." He finished, sighing in relief as he saw her nod.
He also knew that his respite would only be momentary. The dragon way of casting spells was very different than his own, and he knew Imoen would soon start to pester him again. But for tonight, he would be at peace. Nodding at his friend as she returned to her bedroll, Aidan briefly exulted in his own prowess. He was advancing very quickly. At times he felt like his whole being was committed to his self-advancement.
Sighing happily, he immersed himself in his studies.
*-*-*
In the morning, the companions continued their advance deeper into the forest. Coran acted as their scout, since Aidan was loathe to allow Mara to risk herself in this vermin infested thicket.
After travelling few hours, they crested a small hill. Aidan saw a huge tree and a stone circle in the distance.
Turning to look at Jaheira he saw that the druid was trying hard to suppress the anger threatening to boil over as she watched the former home of her old friend Seniyad. Now probably infested with Shadow druids.
"That large tree is where Seniyad used to live. We should make a visit there." She commented in an icy tone and started to descend the hill. A river crossed their path and squinting, Aidan could see a bridge crossing it.
They were most likely heading into a conflict. Again.
But if the Shadow druids attempted to stand in their way, they would find out that these were no neophyte dungeon crawlers they were facing. If necessary, he could blast the druids into charcoal with his new fire spells Aidan smirked to himself, totally forgetting the previous lessons against arrogance he had learned the hard way.
Whistling in his not-so-clear tone, he followed after his friends.